President of Solis Construction, Inc. Ivan Solis, has served previously as HACIA’s President in 2014 and is an active member since 2002.

“I am honored to have been re-elected as Board President. I look forward to continue working with the Board and our Executive Director in a collaborative manner,” said Solis. “As we continue to improve our member services I remain committed to advocating for increased, meaningful participation of our businesses at all levels in both the public and private sector. We also hope to strengthen our community involvement through our scholarship foundation.

HACIA’s Executive Director, Jorge Perez, along with HACIA’s staff, is charged with carrying out the organization’s mission of providing a forum to improve business conditions, creating opportunities for all its members through cooperative action and strong leadership within the construction industry.

“We have great momentum that we built over the past year and we hope to continue on that,” said Perez.

Founded in 1979 as an advocacy organization, HACIA provides technical assistance to MBE, WBE and DBE firms with the goal of developing long-term sustainability and capacity. HACIA represents more than 300 companies that include everything from professional service firms to construction related businesses, collectively employing approximately 7,000 workers with an annual economic impact of over $400 million. Also, HACIA provides business management assistance services and training to its members.

Board Officer Biographies

Ivan Solis is President of Solis Construction, Inc., an Illinois company incorporated in 1994. Solis performs General Contractor and Carpentry services. Solis’ clients include owners, management companies, condominium associations, schools, both private and public, and major general contractors. Solis is certified as a MBE/DBE with the city of Chicago. Ivan has been an active member of HACIA since 2002. He has been involved with community organizations where he has performed pro-bono work.

Javier Diaz is CEO and Founder of Seven D Construction Company established in 1994. With over 30 years’ experience in the construction field, he has worked on providing landscaping, concrete, sewer and drain services. Diaz has held various positions at his company including Estimator, Field Supervisor and General Superintendent. He has also won multiple awards over the last two decades including the 2011 City of Chicago Outstanding MBE Contractor Award.

Jose Duarte is Founder and Principal at Blackwood Group, a full service builder/general contractor with design-build capabilities in both residential and commercial areas. Duarte is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois with over 13 years’ experience in engineering, program and construction management. In recent years, Jose has managed $25 million dollars of luxury and mixed use residential projects in Chicago. Duarte is also a LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Accredited Professional.

Rafael Hernandez joined DEN Construction Management LLC, (DENCO), a Construction Management and Real Estate Development Company, as a partner in 2005. The company’s projects include The Pilsen Little Village Mental Health Care Clinic, East Side Soccer Dome, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, and a variety of private residential projects. Hernandez was Commissioner of the Department of Construction and Permits (DCAP) by Mayor Richard M. Daley on April 7, 2004 and served as Executive Director of HACIA from July 1999 to April 2004.

Antonio Robledo is Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager at BMO Harris Bank. With over 14 years of experience at the company, Antonio works to support and advise companies with revenue size of up to $75 million in various industries including: contractors, manufactures, distributors and service companies.